With the tumult in Berkeley behind us, let's focus on the Bay Area's bowl-bound teams. Stanford and San Jose State are headed to the postseason; the only question is where.

Fresh off its upset of top-ranked Oregon, the Cardinal (9-2) is within range of its third consecutive appearance in the Bowl Championship Series and could reach the BCS even if it loses to UCLA on Saturday.

Resurgent San Jose State (9-2) is bowling for the first time since 2006 and has a list of potential destinations that stretches from Washington, D.C. to Honolulu.

Both could benefit from the chaos in the Big Ten, which has two ineligible teams (Ohio State and Penn State) and won't fill its eight bowl tie-ins.

San Jose State wide receiver Noel Grigsby points to the crowd after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Brigham Young in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/John Storey) (John Storey)

That could create openings at the BCS level for Stanford and the non-BCS level for San Jose State, which raised its national profile last week with the victory over Brigham Young.

One possibility for SJSU is the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, on Dec. 15 in Boise.

The bowl has first pick of teams from the Western Athletic Conference, but presumptive league champion Utah State participated in the last year and both the Aggies and bowl officials might prefer a fresh face.

As long as Utah State has another option, arrangements could be made for San Jose State to fill the WAC half of the draw against a team from the Mid-American Conference. (It doesn't hurt SJSU's cause that first-year athletic director Gene Bleymaier held the same post at Boise State for decades and has connections to the Potato Bowl.)

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If Boise isn't an option, the Spartans would become a free agent, available to any bowl that has a vacancy. That's where the sorry state of the Big Ten comes into play.

The conference won't fill at least one (and as many as three) of its bowl tie-ins, meaning the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl — it's last in the Big Ten pecking order -- is sure to have an opening. (The Little Caesars used to be the Motor City Bowl, which, as SJSU fans might recall, shunned the Spartans in favor of Florida Atlantic in 2008.)

Stanford Cardinal running back Stepfan Taylor eludes a tackle by Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Arik Armstead during first half of NCAA football game in Eugene, Oregon, November 17, 2012. (STEVE DIPAOLA/REUTERS)

SJSU could land in the Military Bowl in Washington, D.C. ,or the Heart of Texas Bowl in Dallas. There's also the intriguing possibility of San Jose State filling a vacancy in the Hawaii Bowl, where the Spartans would face a familiar foe (Fresno State or Nevada) from its future home (the Mountain West).

Stanford has fewer potential destinations than San Jose State but a more complicated path. Let's take it step by step:

Stanford would be Rose Bowl-bound if it wins the Pac-12 championship. Its participation in the league title game (Nov. 30) requires a win over UCLA or an Oregon loss to Oregon State.

Stanford could reach the Rose Bowl as an at-large participant if No. 5 (BCS rankings) Oregon wins the Pac-12 title and jumps into the National Championship Game.

That would leave the Granddaddy with a vacancy. So long as No. 8 Stanford remains in the top 14 of the BCS rankings — a strong possibility — it would be eligible for the Rose.

The Fiesta Bowl also is in play for Stanford if it doesn't win the Pac-12 — yes, even as a three-loss team that played in the game last season.

Bowls are usually averse to inviting the same team two years in a row. But because the Big Ten won't have an at-large team available, the Fiesta could be forced to select Clemson or Stanford.

In that case, the Cardinal might be the preferred choice.

The non-BCS options for Stanford start -- but don't end -- with the Alamo Bowl.

If the Cardinal loses twice to UCLA in a six-day span — Saturday and the Pac-12 title game — then it becomes damaged goods. The Alamo could take a pass, leaving Stanford to the Holiday or Sun bowls.

That's not a likely scenario. Then again, when the season began, few figured Stanford would be in the BCS-bowl picture at all.